Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs

SMSU Wrestling to host annual golf fundraiser on Sept. 16

MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University wrestling program will be hosting its fourth annual SMSU Wrestling Golf Outing on Saturday, Sept. 16, at Countryside Golf Course in Minneota, Minn.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. with a shotgun starting at 10 a.m. Click HERE to register or help support the tournament.

The four-person scramble tournament costs $100 per person or $400 for a team registration. Registration includes 18 holes of golf, golf cart, burger basket, and drink tickets. There will be prizes awarded throughout the day to individuals and a silent auction for items. Hole sponsorships are also available at $200.

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SMSU Announces 2023 Signing Class

MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State University third-year head wrestling coach Chayse Jackson announced on Thursday eight high school and two transfer standouts have recently signed letters of intent to continue their academic and wrestling careers at SMSU.

Joining the program for the 2023-24 season include high school seniors Carlo Arreola from Chula Vista, Calif., Chance Burns from Grafton, N.D., Mason Buss from Florence, Ore., Chase Hanson from Fort Pierre, S.D., Cade Lierman from Colon, Neb., Kody Marschner from Braidwood, Ill., AJ Polansky from Belleville, Kan., and Caden Young from Clintonville, Wis., along with transfers Lorenzo Paez from Racine, Wis., and Adam Sylvester from Minneapolis, Minn.

“We are bringing in a wealth of experience from across the country with talented freshmen and transfers rounding out the class,” Jackson said. “I am extremely excited about this year’s class. They have a lot of potential, with several of them expected to find their way into our lineup in their first year. Each of these athletes have the mindset to be successful on the mat and in the classroom. I can’t wait to get them on campus and see them progress over the next few years.”

Arreola is a 2023 graduate of Granite Hills High School and is expected to compete at 125 pounds for SMSU. He was a two-time state qualifier and finished his senior season with a record of 27-8. A CIF champion, Arreola was ranked No. 11 in state of California as a senior and was also a two-time Masters place winner and two-time Fargo qualifier.

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Mustang Wrestling lands three on CSC Academic All-District Team

MARSHALL, Minn. – Three members of the Southwest Minnesota State University wrestling team earned spots on the 2022-23 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic Men’s At-Large All-District team announced on Tuesday.

Named to the All-District team include seniors Nye Becker and Jace Paplow and sophomore Sean Howk.

The 2022-23 Academic All-District® At-Large Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in the athletic realm and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

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SMSU honored by NWCA for outstanding work in the classroom

MANHEIM, Pa. – The Southwest Minnesota State University wrestling team, along with three Mustang student-athletes, have been recognized by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) for success in the classroom during the 2022-23 season.

The SMSU wrestling team posted a GPA of 3.166, which ranks No. 19 in the country, while Nye Becker, Sean Howk, and Jace Paplow have been named National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division II Scholar All-Americans.

In order to qualify for the NCAA Division II Scholar All-America Team, student-athletes must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale and compete in a minimum of four dates of competition.

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2023 NWCA Division II Scholar All-America Awards

MANHEIM, PA – For the fifth time in six seasons, the Saints of Maryville University sit atop the NWCA Scholar All-America Team listing for NCAA Division II. In addition, 318 individuals from 57 programs were also honored in the annual awards.

The Saints posted a GPA of 3.487 to top the team listing. Wisconsin-Parkside (3.466); Indianapolis (3.386); West Liberty (3.378) and Northern State (3.372) round out the top five teams.

“We are proud of our team for this,” Saints Head Coach Mike Denney said. “The academic standards at Maryville are high and we want to be a positive force in that. Winning this award shows we are contributing to our campus in that way and I am really just so pleased and proud of our guys.”

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Academic All-NSIC Announced; 8 Mustang Wrestlers Earn Honors

BURNSVILLE, Minn. — The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference has announced the 2022-23 Winter All-Academic team, with 55 Southwest Minnesota State University student-athletes being recognized during the winter season.

To be eligible for the NSIC All-Academic Team, members must have a 3.20 cumulative GPA or higher, while to be named to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence, a student-athlete must have a 3.60 cumulative GPA or higher.

Additionally, the student-athlete must be a member of the varsity traveling team and in at least their second year of competition at their current institution (true freshmen, redshirt freshmen, and ineligible athletic transfers are not eligible).

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NWCA Releases Final NCAA Division II Men’s Rankings

MANHEIM, Pa. – With the NCAA Division II National Championships coming for 50 of NCAA DII’s 64 teams, the top two ranked teams in the NWCA Division II Coaches Rankings stayed the same. Central Oklahoma held the top spot heading into the season’s final event in the rankings compiled from the DII ranking committee’s seeding released Friday afternoon.

The Bronchos, fresh off of a team win at the Super Region 4 Championships, have a DII-best 10 Nationa Qualifiers, with nine seeded in the top 8 and another at #9 for all 10 UCO starters adding to the 104 points amassed by the top vote-getters. Lander (84 points), who won the Super Region 2 championship last week, holds at #2 after qualifying nine wrestlers, seven of which are seeded in the top 8 for next weekend’s National Championships. St. Cloud State and UW-Parkside both totaled 67 points to tie for the third-place spot, with Adams State rounding out the top 5 with 61 total points.

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